Dental and Periodontal Conditions in Alcoholics from a Brazilian Recovery Centera

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the dental and periodontal condition of alcohol-dependents from a Brazilian Recovery Center. Sixty male individuals (30 alcoholic and 30 non-alcoholic) and aged between 32 and 72 years old were clinically evaluated. Interviews, dental and periodontal clinical examinations were obtained from all participants. The Pearson Chi-Square Test and Exact Fisher test were used to compare categorical data. The t-Student’s test was adopted for non-categorical data. Multiple logistic regressions were used to evaluate the association of variables in the groups. The alcoholics were younger, consumed more tobacco, had lower frequency of tooth brushing and dental flossing, higher number of missing and decayed teeth, more residual root, and more teeth with presence of visible plaque index (OR = 0.5, 95 % Cl = 4.4 to 5.5), when compared to the non-alcoholics. Alcoholics at the Recovery Center performed poor oral hygiene, had higher number of sites with periodontal disease, and worse oral hygiene than non-alcoholic individuals. As regards professional follow-up, there was similarity between the groups evaluated.